Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive patent for blue jeans - May 20, 1873 - HISTORY.com This Day in History: 05/20/1873 - Blue Jeans Patented This Day in History - May 20, 1873, was the day Levi patented the first pair of blue jeans. Jeans were unique at the time because of the metal rivets that reinforced the stressed areas. Workers found jeans to be very practical and last longer than normal cloth pants. Lead Story Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive patent for blue jeans Share this: Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive patent for blue jeans Author Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive patent for blue jeans URL Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1873, San Francisco businessman Levi Strauss and Reno, Nevada, tailor Jacob Davis are given a patent to create work pants reinforced with metal rivets, marking the birth of one of the world’s most famous garments: blue jeans. Born Loeb Strauss in Buttenheim, Bavaria, in 1829, the young Strauss immigrated to New York with his family in 1847 after the death of his father.

By 1850, Loeb had changed his name to Levi and was working in the family dry goods business, J. Strauss Brother & Co. In early 1853, Levi Strauss went west to seek his fortune during the heady days of the Gold Rush. In San Francisco, Strauss established a wholesale dry goods business under his own name and worked as the West Coast representative of his family’s firm. His new business imported clothing, fabric and other dry goods to sell in the small stores opening all over California and other Western states to supply the rapidly expanding communities of gold miners and other settlers. By 1866, Strauss had moved his company to expanded headquarters and was a well-known businessman and supporter of the Jewish community in San Francisco. Jacob Davis, a tailor in Reno, Nevada, was one of Levi Strauss’ regular customers. In 1872, he wrote a letter to Strauss about his method of making work pants with metal rivets on the stress points–at the corners of the pockets and the base of the button fly–to make them stronger. As Davis didn’t have the money for the necessary paperwork, he suggested that Strauss provide the funds and that the two men get the patent together.

Strauss agreed enthusiastically, and the patent for “Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings”–the innovation that would produce blue jeans as we know them–was granted to both men on May 20, 1873. Strauss brought Davis to San Francisco to oversee the first manufacturing facility for “waist overalls,” as the original jeans were known. At first they employed seamstresses working out of their homes, but by the 1880s, Strauss had opened his own factory. The famous 501brand jean–known until 1890 as “XX”–was soon a bestseller, and the company grew quickly. By the 1920s, Levi’s denim waist overalls were the top-selling men’s work pant in the United States. As decades passed, the craze only grew, and now blue jeans are worn by men and women, young and old, around the world.

Related Videos Matt's Today in History: Blue Jeans Patented, May 20, 1873 Blue Jeans Patented, May 20, 1873 Listen Here Today in 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received a United States patent for jeans with copper rivets. Since that day more than 135 years ago, blue jeans have gone from being sturdy pants made for the working man to a fashion statement worn casually all over the world. The progression of the denim trouser is a story of ingenuity and the ability of one small item to grow into a symbol of Western culture. The word “jeans” comes to us from the French phrase meaning the ‘blue of Genoa’. The material from which jeans are made, denim, was developed independently in France and in India. Naval forces all over the world adopted the tough trousers, including the Genoese Navy in Italy as early as the 16th century. Sailors from the Dhunga area of India wore denim trousers as their work uniforms; those types of pants came to be known as dungarees. That term survives today in the navies of the United States and other nations.

Over the years, denim trousers traveled from ship to shore. A German-born immigrant named Levi Strauss made his way to San Francisco in 1853, eager to expand his dry goods business into the Gold Rush areas of California. He soon met Jacob Davis, a Latvian-born tailor who bought canvas-type materials, including denim, from Strauss for various applications. Soon, however, he was making pants out of the stuff to replace the cotton trousers that miners found nearly useless under heavy use. As tough as the canvas and denim were, they still ripped in particular places, like the pockets. Davis had used rivets before on items like harnesses, but it wasn’t until 1871 that he first used them on his denim trousers. The story goes that he came up with the idea when a lady approached him to buy some denim to mend the rips her husband managed to make in his pants. Davis solved the woman’s problem by using rivets on the weak areas of the trousers. Thus, the trousers that would one day be called jeans were born. Davis knew he had a virtual gold mine on his hands, but he worried about other people capitalizing on his innovation.

Lacking the money at the time to file a patent on his invention, he approached Levi Strauss, the man who had supplied him with his raw materials for years. Strauss saw the brilliance in Davis’ design and agreed to enter into a partnership. On May 20, 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis were granted United States patent #139121 for using copper rivets to reinforce the pockets and other stress areas of denim work pants. Levi Strauss soon left the dry goods business and began making denim jeans full time under the business name of Levi Strauss & Co. Jacob Davis became a partner with the company and worked as the company’s production manager until his death in 1908, although he sold his interest in the patent in 1907. Levi Strauss died in 1902. Since he had no children, the business was left to his four nephews, who oversaw explosive growth in the company despite setbacks such as the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. After the Second World War, blue jeans went from being work clothes to being casual clothes worn by young men and women.

They became the symbol of the American counter-culture during the 1960’s and left such a strong impression that some people who lived through that era will not wear jeans to this day. By the 1970’s, blue jeans became acceptable casual wear for people of all ages, hippies or no. Today, the average North American owns seven pairs of jeans, although whether all those pairs fit or can be worn in public is a matter of some debate. Some sociologists studying the fall of the Soviet Union attribute a desire for Western goods and freedoms to the appearance of blue jeans on the streets of Moscow. The jeans were very expensive and only available on the black market, but to own a pair was to have status in what was supposed to be a classless society. This glimpse at Western culture was, perhaps, one of the first cracks in the dam of Communism in Eastern Europe.

Posted by Blue Jeans History - Invention of Blue Jeans Invention: blue jeans Definition: noun / waist overalls, jeans, Levi'sï¿½ jeans Function: Clothes, especially pants, that are usually close-fitting and created from the rugged cotton twill textile that is colored blue with indigo dye Patent: 139,121 (US) issued May 20, 1873 for Fastening Pocket-Openings Inventor: Jacob Davis (aka Jacob Youphes) Criteria: First to invent. First to patent. First practical. Birth: 1834 in Riga Latvia Death: 1908 in San Francisco, California Nationality: German Inventor: Levi Strauss (aka Loeb Strauss) Criteria: First to patent. First practical. Entrepreneur.

Birth: February 26, 1829 in Buttenheim, Germany Death: September 27, 1902 in San Francisco, California Nationality: American (of German decent) Milestones: 1847 Strauss family moves to New York City where Levi joined his brothers dry-goods business 1853 Levi moves to San Francisco, California to establishing a dry-goods business Levi Strauss&Co. 1854 Jacob moves to New York, then to San Francisco, California then to Canada for nine years 1868 Jacob settled in Reno, Neveda tailoring clothing and manufacturing tents and horse blankets 1871 Jacob who was using rivets on horse blankets, decides to try them on pant pockets for strength 1872 Jacob wrote a letter to Levi suggests that they hold the riveted pants patent rights together. 1872 on August 8, filed patent application for Improvements in Fastening Pocket-Openings 1873 patent 139,121 awarded to Jacob Davis and one half assigned to Levi Strauss & Co.

1873 Levi hires Jacob to oversee production of the riveted pants at the San Francisco plant 1875 Levi and two associates purchased the Mission and Pacific Woolen Mills 1890 the year that the lot number "501ï¿½" was first used to designate the denim waist overalls 1935 Levi'sï¿½ jeans for women were first featured in Vogue magazine 1936 The red Tab Device was created to help identify Levi'sï¿½ 501ï¿½ jeans from a distance 1960 The word jeans became popular when the baby-boom generation used the term for the pants jeans, blue jeans, levi's, denim waist overalls, 501, dungaree, Levi Strauss, Jacob Davis, invention, history, inventor of, history of, who invented, invention of, fascinating facts. The Story: The first jeans came in two styles, indigo blue and brown cotton "duck." Unlike denim, the duck material never became soft and comfortable so it was eventually dropped from the line.

Although denim pants had been around as work wear for many years, historically dating back to England in the 1600s with a fabric there called denim, it was the first use of rivets that created what we now call jeans. "Waist overalls" was the traditional name for work pants, which is what these first jeans were called. The word jeans became more popular around 1960 when the baby-boom generation adopted the term for its favorite type of pants. How were blue jeans invented is a simple story. Levi Strauss came to San Francisco in 1853, at the age of twenty-four, to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business. He had spent a number of years learning the trade in New York after emigrating there from his native Germany. He built his business into a very successful operation over the next twenty years, making a name for himself not only as a well-respected businessman, but as a local philanthropist as well. One of Levi's many customers was a tailor named Jacob Davis. Originally from Latvia, Jacob lived in Reno, Nevada, and regularly purchased bolts of cloth from the wholesale house of Levi Strauss & Co.

Among Jacob's customers was a difficult man who kept ripping the pockets of the pants that Jacob made for him. Jacob tried to think of a way to strengthen the man's trousers, and one day hit upon the idea of putting metal rivets at the points of strain, such as on the pocket corners and at the base of the button fly. These riveted pants were an instant hit with Jacob's customers and he worried that someone might steal this great idea. He decided he should apply for a patent on the process, but didn't have the $68 that was required to file the papers. He needed a business partner and he immediately thought of Levi Strauss. In 1872 Jacob wrote a letter to Levi to suggest that the two men hold the patent together. Levi, who was an astute businessman, saw the potential for this new product and agreed to Jacob's proposal. On May 20, 1873, the two men received patent no.139,121 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. That day is now considered to be the official "birthday" of blue jeans.

With the patent secured, Levi hired Jacob Davis to oversee production of the riveted pants at the Levi Strauss & Co. San Francisco plant. Sometime during 1873, the first riveted clothing was made and sold. (the exact date was lost along with the company records in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire). Jacob Davis was in charge of manufacturing when Levi Strauss & Co. opened its two San Francisco factories. In 1875 Levi and two associates purchased the Mission and Pacific Woolen Mills from the estate of former silver millionaire William Ralston. Much of the mill's fabric was used to make the Levi Strauss & Co. "blanket-lined" pants and coats. The denim for the riveted work pants came from the Amoskeag Mill in Manchester, New Hampshire, a company known for the quality of its fabrics. Within a very short time, all types of working men were buying the innovative new pants and spreading the word about their unrivaled durability. Hard to imagine that back in 1885, when denim first established itself as a reliable work wear cloth for a working man's garment ï¿½ that a pair of Levi overalls cost $1.25. Brand new.

Holding a patent on this process meant that for nearly twenty years, Levi Strauss & Co. was the only company allowed to make riveted clothing until the patent went into the public domain.. Around 1890, these pants were assigned the number 501, which they still bear today. When the patent expired, dozens of garment manufacturers began to imitate the original riveted clothing made popular by Levi Strauss & Co. In the 1950s, high school kids put them on as a radical way of defining themselves, of wanting to look and be more adult ï¿½ and dangerous and rebellious against adults because adults didn't wear jeans. A decade later, blue jeans became a symbol of egalitarianism, a uniform for young adult baby boomers waging a generational war. In the 1970s Me Decade and the beginnings of celebrity culture surfaced, jeans were definitely about being sexy and all about fashion. In 1980 came the controversial Calvin Klein ad slogan heard around the world. Who can ever forget 15-year-old Brooke Shields (barely old enough to get her driver's permit) purring into living rooms "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins"?

As Vogue magazine editor in 1988, Anna Wintour's first cover was a pair of Guess? stonewash jeans teamed with a Christian Lacroix bejeweled top. The 1990s took denim onto country-western dance floors, onto the red carpet and created puzzling fashion styles from born-to-be-torn grunge jeans to baggy hip-hop jeans to rock star appeal ï¿½ all adding to the confusion of casual Fridays. The term "Levi's," though, was not the company's--it originated with the public, just as the public invented the term "coke" for Coca-Cola. But when the public started referring to the pants generically as "Levi's," the company quickly trademarked it. No item of clothing is more American than the blue jeans invented and perfected in the last quarter of the19th century by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss These two visionary immigrants, turned denim, thread and a little metal into the most popular clothing product in the world - blue jeans. TO LEARN MORE Our Story - Levi Strauss Our Story our story Introduction Anyone can make a pair of blue jeans, but Levi Strauss & Co.

made the first blue jean –– in 1873. And we draw upon our heritage to continually reinvent the blue jean for generation after generation. Welcome to the place where that heritage lives on LeviStrauss.com. Here, among others, you’ll find the story of the blue jean and the story of the man himself, our founder, Levi Strauss. It’s an amazing tale of creativity, innovation and drive. And being in the right place at the right time. Yes, Levi Strauss & Co. has a unique history and an amazing heritage, but it involves much more than faded denim. Our designers use products from our past to inspire the designs of tomorrow. And not only did we invent the blue jean, our Dockers® brand reinvented the khaki pant. So jump in and enjoy true tales from the Levi’s® and Dockers® brands and Levi Strauss & Co. Heritage Timeline Levi Strauss & Co. has been innovating since the birth of the first pair of jeans in 1873. Throughout our long history, we’ve inspired change in the marketplace, the workplace and the world. We invite you to take a look at our proud heritage in this timeline.

SEE FULL TIMELINE Levi Strauss Levi Strauss, the inventor of the quintessential American garment, was born in Buttenheim, Bavaria on February 26, 1829 to Hirsch Strauss and his second wife, Rebecca Haas Strauss; Levi had three older brothers and three older sisters. Two years after his father succumbed to tuberculosis in 1846, Levi and his sisters emigrated to New York, where they were met by his two older brothers who owned a NYC-based wholesale dry goods business called “J. Strauss Brother & Co.” Levi soon began to learn the trade himself. When news of the California Gold Rush made its way east, Levi journeyed to San Francisco in 1853 to make his fortune, though he wouldn’t make it panning gold. He established a wholesale dry goods business under his own name and served as the West Coast representative of the family’s New York firm. Levi eventually renamed his company “Levi Strauss & Co.” Around 1872, Levi received a letter from one of his customers, Jacob Davis, a Reno, Nevada tailor.

In his letter, Davis disclosed the unique way he made pants for his customers, through the use of rivets at points of strain to make them last longer. Davis wanted to patent this new idea, but needed a business partner to get the idea off the ground. Levi was enthusiastic about the idea. The patent was granted to Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss & Company on May 20, 1873; and blue jeans were born. Levi carried on other business pursuits during his career, as well. He became a charter member and treasurer of the San Francisco Board of Trade in 1877. He was a director of the Nevada Bank, the Liverpool, London and Globe Insurance Company and the San Francisco Gas and Electric Company. In 1875, Levi and two associates purchased the Mission and Pacific Woolen Mills. He was also one of the city’s greatest philanthropists. Levi was a contributor to the Pacific Hebrew Orphan Asylum and Home, the Eureka Benevolent Society and the Hebrew Board of Relief. In 1897 Levi provided the funds for twenty-eight scholarships at the University of California, Berkeley, all of which are still in place today.

At the end of the 19th century, Levi was still involved in the day-to-day workings of the company. In 1890 — the year that the XX waist overall was given the lot number “501®” — Levi and his nephews officially incorporated the company. Levi Strauss passed away on Friday, September 26th 1902. His estate amounted to nearly $6 million, the bulk of which was left to his four nephews and other family members, while donations were made to local funds and associations. We’re proud to honor Levi Strauss’s legacy by celebrating his commitment to community, philanthropy and an unswerving devotion to quality. To this day, Levi Strauss & Co. strives to align itself with the same principles that guided Levi’s life. The Invention of the Blue Jean May 20, 1873 marked an historic day: the birth of the blue jean. It was on that day that Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis obtained a U.S. patent on the process of putting rivets in men’s work pants for the very first time.

Levi Strauss, a Bavarian-born dry goods merchant, came to San Francisco in 1853 at the age of 24 to open a West Coast branch of his brothers’ New York wholesale dry goods business. Over the next 20 years, he built his business into a very successful operation, making a name for himself not only as a well-respected businessman, but also as a local philanthropist. One of Levi’s customers was a tailor named Jacob Davis. We made our first jeans out of denim - the traditional fabric for men's workwear. Within a very short time, the jean was a bona fide success. One day the wife of a local laborer asked Jacob to make a pair of pants for her husband that wouldn’t fall apart. Jacob tried to think of a way to strengthen his trousers and came up with the idea to put metal rivets at points of strain, like pocket corners and the base of the button fly. These riveted pants were an instant hit. Jacob quickly decided to take out a patent on the process, but needed a business partner to help get the project rolling. He immediately thought of Levi Strauss, from whom he had purchased the cloth to make his riveted pants.

Davis wrote to Levi to suggest that the two men hold the patent together. Levi, being an astute businessman, saw the potential for this new product, and agreed to Jacob’s proposal. The two men received patent #139,121 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on May 20, 1873. Soon, the first riveted clothing was made and sold. We made our first jeans out of denim — the traditional fabric for men’s workwear. Within a very short time, the jean was a bona fide success. (Although, we should note that they were called “waist overalls” or “overalls” until 1960, when baby boomers adopted the name “jeans.”) We consider May 20, 1873 the “birthday” of blue jeans, because although denim pants had been around as workwear for many years, it was the act of placing rivets in these traditional pants for the first time that created what we now call jeans. The next time you see someone wearing a pair of Levi’s® jeans, remember that these pants are a direct descendant of that first pair made back in 1873.

That year, two visionary immigrants — Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis — turned denim, thread and a little metal into what has become the most popular apparel on earth. Historical Resources Reno pays tribute to man who made first pair of jeans | The San Diego Union-Tribune Reno pays tribute to man who made first pair of jeans Latvian immigrant is an 'unsung hero' By Martin Griffith ASSOCIATED PRESS May 15, 2006 RENO, Nev. – In 1871, an obscure Reno tailor named Jacob Davis was given $3 to make a pair of trousers sturdy enough for a large woodcutter who quickly wore out his pants. The Latvian immigrant's ingenious idea of using metal rivets to strengthen the pants not only would please his customer but lead to one of the world's best-known brands: Levi's blue jeans. Now, 133 years after a patent for the copper-riveted work pants was granted to Davis and San Francisco merchant Levi Strauss, the city of Reno is paying tribute by placing a historical marker on Virginia Street, where Davis' little shop once stood.

“Davis is the unsung hero of everybody's favorite piece of clothing,” said Lynn Downey, historian for Levi Strauss & Co. “He created the technology that gave us the blue jean.” After the riveted pants proved an instant success in Reno, Davis approached the company's namesake about joining him on the patent and beginning the large-scale manufacture of denim “waist overalls.” Strauss' company, which the Bavarian immigrant began in 1853 as a wholesale dry goods business, branched out to making jeans after U.S. patent No. 139,121 was granted May 20, 1873. Davis became head of the company's new jean-manufacturing division, while Strauss continued as company owner. “It took both of them to bring the blue jean to the world,” Downey said. “The most American garment was created by two immigrants.” Miners, loggers, farmers and others long had worn heavy work pants, but before Davis' innovation the pockets would rip open and the trousers would not last long. His decision to use 11 copper rivets at pocket corners and other stress points was credited for making pants last longer and workers more efficient.

They were the prototype for Levi's 501 jeans, which still use rivets. The breakthrough was hailed by a San Francisco journal of the time. “Simple as (Davis') device seems, nevertheless, it is quite effective, and we do not doubt that his manufacture, of overalls especially, will become quite popular among working men,” the Pacific Rural Press reported June 28, 1873. “Nothing looks more slouchy in a workman than to see his pockets ripped open and hanging down. . . . Besides its slouchy appearance, it is inconvenient and often results in the person losing things from his pockets,” the newspaper added. Rival companies embraced the use of rivets as soon as the patent expired in 1890. Among those planning to attend the ceremony Saturday in downtown Reno is Davis' great-grandson, Frank Davis. He owns Ben Davis Co., a worldwide clothing company based in Novato. The company, whose line includes work pants, was launched in 1935 by Frank Davis' 92-year-old father, Ben. “I guess the garment business is in our blood,” said Frank Davis, 54.

Jacob Davis continued to supervise the Levi's factory until his death in 1908 in his 70s, according to the Ben Davis Co. Web site. Blue Jeans Blue Jeans Some Brands of Jeans Publicado por Ekaterina Chirinos Since Jeans have revolutionaze the way of dress, people have create different brands of jeans the first one was Levi´s but bussinessman saw the great impact jeans had they started new franchise like : PEPE JEANS The jeans revolution Publicado por Ekaterina Chirinos Jeans have revolutionized the way we dress.They were created for the workers, but now everyone uses it, children, youth and adults use it. Thanks to Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, to invent the most used clothing in the world.can be used on different occasions, the jean is one of the inventions that have revolutionized the world. Publicado por Ekaterina Chirinos The Story: The first jeans came in two styles, indigo blue and brown cotton "duck." Unlike denim, the duck material never became soft and comfortable so it was eventually dropped from the line.

Although denim pants had been around as work wear for many years, historically dating back to England in the 1600s with a fabric there called denim, it was the first use of rivets that created what we now call jeans. "Waist overalls" was the traditional name for work pants, which is what these first jeans were called. The word jeans became more popular around 1960 when the baby-boom generation adopted the term for its favorite type of pants. How were blue jeans invented is a simple story. Levi Strauss came to San Francisco in 1853, at the age of twenty-four, to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business. He had spent a number of years learning the trade in New York after emigrating there from his native Germany. He built his business into a very successful operation over the next twenty years, making a name for himself not only as a well-respected businessman, but as a local philanthropist as well. One of Levi's many customers was a tailor named Jacob Davis. Originally from Latvia, Jacob lived in Reno, Nevada, and regularly purchased bolts of cloth from the wholesale house of Levi Strauss & Co.

Among Jacob's customers was a difficult man who kept ripping the pockets of the pants that Jacob made for him. Jacob tried to think of a way to strengthen the man's trousers, and one day hit upon the idea of putting metal rivets at the points of strain, such as on the pocket corners and at the base of the button fly. These riveted pants were an instant hit with Jacob's customers and he worried that someone might steal this great idea. He decided he should apply for a patent on the process, but didn't have the $68 that was required to file the papers. He needed a business partner and he immediately thought of Levi Strauss. In 1872 Jacob wrote a letter to Levi to suggest that the two men hold the patent together. Levi, who was an astute businessman, saw the potential for this new product and agreed to Jacob's proposal. On May 20, 1873, the two men received patent no.139,121 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. That day is now considered to be the official "birthday" of blue jeans.

With the patent secured, Levi hired Jacob Davis to oversee production of the riveted pants at the Levi Strauss & Co. San Francisco plant. Sometime during 1873, the first riveted clothing was made and sold. (the exact date was lost along with the company records in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire). Jacob Davis was in charge of manufacturing when Levi Strauss & Co. opened its two San Francisco factories. In 1875 Levi and two associates purchased the Mission and Pacific Woolen Mills from the estate of former silver millionaire William Ralston. Much of the mill's fabric was used to make the Levi Strauss & Co. "blanket-lined" pants and coats. The denim for the riveted work pants came from the Amoskeag Mill in Manchester, New Hampshire, a company known for the quality of its fabrics. Within a very short time, all types of working men were buying the innovative new pants and spreading the word about their unrivaled durability. Hard to imagine that back in 1885, when denim first established itself as a reliable work wear cloth for a working man's garment — that a pair of Levi overalls cost $1.25. Brand new.

Holding a patent on this process meant that for nearly twenty years, Levi Strauss & Co. was the only company allowed to make riveted clothing until the patent went into the public domain.. Around 1890, these pants were assigned the number 501, which they still bear today. When the patent expired, dozens of garment manufacturers began to imitate the original riveted clothing made popular by Levi Strauss & Co. In the 1950s, high school kids put them on as a radical way of defining themselves, of wanting to look and be more adult — and dangerous and rebellious against adults because adults didn't wear jeans. A decade later, blue jeans became a symbol of egalitarianism, a uniform for young adult baby boomers waging a generational war. In the 1970s Me Decade and the beginnings of celebrity culture surfaced, jeans were definitely about being sexy and all about fashion. In 1980 came the controversial Calvin Klein ad slogan heard around the world. Who can ever forget 15-year-old Brooke Shields (barely old enough to get her driver's permit) purring into living rooms "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins"?

As Vogue magazine editor in 1988, Anna Wintour's first cover was a pair of Guess? stonewash jeans teamed with a Christian Lacroix bejeweled top. The 1990s took denim onto country-western dance floors, onto the red carpet and created puzzling fashion styles from born-to-be-torn grunge jeans to baggy hip-hop jeans to rock star appeal — all adding to the confusion of casual Fridays. The term "Levi's," though, was not the company's--it originated with the public, just as the public invented the term "coke" for Coca-Cola. But when the public started referring to the pants generically as "Levi's," the company quickly trademarked it. No item of clothing is more American than the blue jeans invented and perfected in the last quarter of the19th century by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss.These two visionary immigrants, turned denim, thread and a little metal into the most popular clothing product in the world - blue jeans.

Invention: blue jeans Definition: noun / waist overalls, jeans, Levi's® jeans Function: Clothes, especially pants, that are usually close-fitting and created from the rugged cotton twill textile that is colored blue with indigo dye Patent: 139,121 (US) issued May 20, 1873 for Fastening Pocket-Openings Inventor: Jacob Davis (aka Jacob Youphes) Criteria: First to invent. First to patent. First practical. Birth: 1834 in Riga Latvia Death: 1908 in San Francisco, California Nationality: German Inventor: Levi Strauss (aka Loeb Strauss) Criteria: First to patent. First practical. Entrepreneur. Birth: February 26, 1829 in Buttenheim, Germany Death: September 27, 1902 in San Francisco, California Nationality: American (of German decent) HOW WERE LEVI JEANS INVENTED Publicado por Ekaterina Chirinos Levi jeans began as rugged attire that a Nevada tailor named Jacob Davis designed for wear by miners and other heavy laborers.

Davis patented his idea for riveted denim pants with business partner Levi Strauss. What has become the classic Levi's jean was first produced in the early 1900s. Levi Strauss Levi Strauss, the founder of what today we refer to as the jeans company Levi's, was the owner of a dry goods store in New York. When the Gold Rush in California began, he moved to San Francisco intending to make his fortune selling supplies to the workers there. Jacob Davis Jacob Davis was a tailor working in Reno, Nevada, often making denim pants for miners and other heavy laborers. He had the idea of adding copper rivets to the pants after a customer requested that Davis make his pants as sturdy as possible. Davis earned many sales from the idea and decided to patent his riveted pants. Strauss and Davis Mr. Davis wrote to Mr. Strauss detailing the riveted pants and his desire to patent them, proposing that Strauss be his partner in the endeavor. Strauss agreed, and they received the patent in May of 1873. "Waist Overalls" Strauss and Davis began to produce their idea soon after acquiring the patent.

What we call "jeans" today first bore the moniker "waist overalls." Strauss and Davis most likely hired individual seamstresses to make the waist overalls. Classic 501 The pants labeled as "XX" in 1890 received the name of 501 in the 1970s for the lot where they were once produced. Today this style of jeans is the Levi's 501. Publicado por Ekaterina Chirinos INTRODUCTION: No item of clothing is more American than the blue jeans invented in 1873 by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss. These two visionary immigrants, turned denim, thread and a little metal into the most popular clothing product in the world. Waist overalls, was the traditional name for work pants, which is what these first jeans were called. The word jeans became more popular around 1960 when the baby-boom generation adopted the term for its favorite type of pants, blue jeans.. Milestones: 1847 Strauss family moves to New York City where Levi joined his brothers dry-goods business 1853 Levi moves to San Francisco, California to establishing a dry-goods business Levi Strauss&Co.

1854 Jacob moves to New York, then to San Francisco, California then to Canada for nine years 1868 Jacob settled in Reno, Neveda tailoring clothing and manufacturing tents and horse blankets 1871 Jacob who was using rivets on horse blankets, decides to try them on pant pockets for strength 1872 Jacob wrote a letter to Levi suggests that they hold the riveted pants patent rights together. 1872 on August 8, filed patent application for Improvements in Fastening Pocket-Openings 1873 patent 139,121 awarded to Jacob Davis and one half assigned to Levi Strauss & Co.

1873 Levi hires Jacob to oversee production of the riveted pants at the San Francisco plant 1875 Levi and two associates purchased the Mission and Pacific Woolen Mills 1890 the year that the lot number "501®" was first used to designate the denim waist overalls 1935 Levi's® jeans for women were first featured in Vogue magazine 1936 The red Tab Device was created to help identify Levi's® 501® jeans from a distance 1960 The word jeans became popular when the baby-boom generation used the term for the pants jeans, blue jeans, levi's, denim waist overalls, 501, dungaree, Levi Strauss, Jacob Davis, invention, history, inventor of, history of, who invented, invention of, fascinating facts. Levi Strauss facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Levi Strauss San Francisco , California Founder, Levi Strauss & Company Levi Strauss's life is one of the great examples of the American immigrant success story. Through hard work, the willingness to take risks, and some luck, Strauss became one of the most prominent citizens of San Francisco at the end of the nineteenth century.

Strauss also lent his name to one of the best-known and best-loved U.S. products: Levi's blue jeans. Learning the Business Levi Strauss—first known as Loeb—was born on February 26, 1829, in the small village of Buttenheim, in the Bavarian region of Germany. His father Hirsch had four children with a first wife, and three with Rebecca Haas, Strauss's mother. The elder Strauss sold dry goods, and several of his sons continued the family business after they left Germany. The Strausses were Jewish, and the United States offered them greater freedom and opportunities. "I am a bachelor, and I fancy on that account I need to work more, for my entire life is my business." Levi Strauss made the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1847 with his mother and two sisters. After his arrival in New York , Strauss went into business with his half-brothers Jonas and Louis, who had immigrated earlier. As an employee at J. Strauss Brother & Company, Strauss learned how to buy and sell cloth and other dry goods.

In 1849, Strauss left for Kentucky to work as a peddler, selling an assortment of items out of a pack or trunk he carried on his back. By this time, gold had been discovered at Sutter's Mill, just outside Sacramento , California, drawing thousands of fortune hunters to the area. As the "gold rush" continued, Strauss's sister Fanny and her husband David Stern went to San Francisco to open a dry-goods business. In 1853, Strauss decided to join them. After becoming a U.S. citizen, he sailed for California, bringing dry goods supplied by his brothers' company. Early Success Strauss set up his own wholesale business, called simply Levi Strauss, and acted as the West Coast agent for his half-brothers. As his business grew, Strauss moved several times to larger quarters. Eventually David Stern joined his business. Their supplies came by ship, and the partners never knew what goods would be available. The items Strauss and Stern bought included denim work pants or the fabric itself. Most of their goods were sold to miners, but as more families came to San Francisco, Strauss and Stern added clothing for women and children.

Strauss occasionally left the city to sell goods to the small shops opening up near mining camps. He developed a reputation for selling quality goods at a fair price. By 1861, Strauss had one of the most successful dry-goods businesses in San Francisco, and the firm continued to grow. Goods still came from the New York branch of the company, but Strauss also had items made on the West Coast, including pants. The first work pants he sold were made of canvas, but Strauss later switched to denim. He hired tailors to make the pants in their homes. The pants were just one of many products sold by Levi Strauss & Company. During these years, Strauss lived with Fanny and David Stern. Dressed formally for work, he walked each day to his office. At the company, however, Strauss was not formal with his workers, insisting they call him Levi. Strauss was also becoming a leader in San Francisco's Jewish community. He joined an organization that helped needy Jews in the region, and he helped raise money to build a temple and a cemetery. The Pants with the Rivets One of Strauss's customers was a Nevada tailor named Jacob Davis. Like Strauss, Davis was a Jewish immigrant.

In 1872, he sent Strauss a letter describing improvements he had made to denim pants; how he had made the seams stronger near the pockets and the fly. Davis also asked Strauss to pay for an application to patent the pants. By securing a patent, no other company could use Davis's design. Strauss could see that Davis had made valuable improvements, so he readily agreed. In 1873, his company sold its first pair of blue denim pants with rivets—the original Levi's blue jeans. To make the pants that he called "waist high overalls," Strauss opened his first manufacturing plant, with Davis supervising the operation. The company also made denim jackets with rivets and later added work shirts to its line. Within a few years, the company had several hundred workers. Although Strauss also continued to sell wholesale dry goods, making and selling his own clothes eventually became the most successful part of his business. As Levi Strauss & Company grew, the management changed. David Stern died in 1874, and his sons—Strauss's nephews—began entering the business and taking on more responsibilities. Strauss, however, continued to make major company decisions.

Strauss's fortune also grew: an 1877 report said he was worth more than $4 million. This fortune included real estate as well as his share of Levi Strauss & Company. Other companies recognized his prominence, and Strauss was asked to sit on the board of directors of several area firms. He also served on the San Francisco Board of Trade, which promoted local products. Even though Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss patented their riveted pants, competitors illegally copied the design. In 1874, Strauss filed the first of many lawsuits to stop other companies from copying his blue jeans. Final Years During the 1890s, Strauss briefly turned his attention from clothes and invested in railroads. In 1891, he and other The Haas Family Takes Charge With no children to run Levi Strauss & Company after his death, Levi Strauss left his business to his nephews, the Sterns. In 1919, Jacob Stern brought his son-in-law Walter Haas into the company. Haas became chief executive officer (CEO) in 1928, and he and his sons receive the credit for making Levi Strauss & Company a worldwide leader in the apparel industry. Walter Haas Sr.

was born in San Francisco in 1889. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1910 after majoring in business. After serving in the military during World War I (1914-18), Haas took a job at Levi Strauss & Company. Within a few years, Haas asked his brother-in-law, Daniel Koshland, to join the firm. The two men focused on ways to improve profits at the company. Haas served as CEO until 1955, then remained as chairman of the board until 1970. He remained active in the company's affairs until his death in 1979. His sons, Walter j. and Peter, were also heavily involved in the company. Haas Jr., like his father, studied business at Berkeley. He thought about being a doctor, but Levi Strauss was still a small company when Haas left college in 1937, and he felt compelled to enter the family business. He attended Harvard Business School and then joined Levi Strauss as a stock boy. In 1958, he succeeded Daniel Koshland as CEO. With Haas jr.

running the company, Levi Strauss began to grow tremendously. "I don't think anybody could have anticipated the jeans boom [of the 1960s]," he told Daily News Record. Haas Jr. stepped down as CEO in 1976, and his brother took over. In 1980, Haas Jr. won the respect of San Francisco Bay area residents when he bought the Oakland A's baseball team. The team likely would have left Oakland if he had not stepped in. Haas Jr., like his father, was also famous for his generosity. Both men gave large sums to Berkeley; the business school there is named for Haas Sr. Both also started foundations to distribute some of their wealth to charitable causes. An obituary after the younger Haas's death in 1995 noted that that he often said his generosity was "in the genes." Haas Jr.'s son Robert took over Levi Strauss & Company in 1984. He continued the family tradition of attending Berkeley and, like his father, graduated from the Harvard Business School. Haas also served in the Peace Corps and worked as a consultant before joining the family business in 1973.

Under Robert Haas, Levi Strauss & Company saw its best year ever in 1996, when sales reached $7.1 billion. After that, however, sales fell, and in 1999 Haas brought in Philip Marineau, the former CEO of Pepsi North America (see PepsiCo, Inc. entry), to run the company. Marineau was only the second person without ties to Levi Strauss to run the company. Haas remained involved with the company as the chairman of the board. San Francisco merchants wanted to open their own railway to combat the high prices charged by existing lines to ship goods. That plan failed. A few years later, Strauss invested $25,000 in another railroad plan. This time, the man behind the project sold all the shares to another railroad company, which then struck a deal with the existing firms that charged high fares. After that disappointment, Strauss gave up on railroads and stuck with the business he knew best. In 1897, Strauss again turned to philanthropy, giving money to the University of California, Berkeley, to fund twenty-eight scholarships. Strauss realized that having a fortune brought with it a responsibility to share.

In an 1895 interview quoted in Everyone Wears His Name, Strauss said that riches "do not cause happiness to their owners." Spreading the wealth, he believed, brought greater joy. By 1902, illness began to slow down Strauss, and he took a vacation to try to restore his health. By fall, however, his condition worsened, and he died in his sleep during the night of September 26. His death made the headlines of local papers, and shopkeepers closed their businesses to attend his funeral. Today, the Levi Strauss & Company Web site notes that its founder was praised for "his broad and generous love for and sympathy with humanity." He also left behind his name on the pants that became an American classic decades after his death. For More Information Henry, Sondra, and Emily Taitz. Levi Strauss: Everyone Wears His Name. Minneapolis : Dillon Press, 1990. Periodicals Emert, Carol. "Levi Strauss Hires New CEO from Outside Its Gene Pool." San Francisco Chronicle (September 8, 1999): p. Al. "Longtime Levi Strauss & Company leader Walter A.

Haas, Jr., Dies." Business Wire (September 20, 1995). Marion, Peggy. "Walter Haas: Levi's Crusader." Daily News Record (November 7, 1983): p. 12. Munk, Nina. "How Levi's Trashed a Great American Brand." Fortune (April 12, 1999): p. 82. Norton, Justin M.. "Levi's Takes 'Low' Road with Soprano as Singer." Brandweek (June 18, 2001): p. 6. Rhine , John. "Levi Rips the World's Oldest Jeans to Market." San Francisco Business Times (June 29, 2001): p. 6. Sherman, Stratford. "Levi's As Ye Sew, So Shall Ye Reap." Fortune (May 17, 1997): p. 104. Web Sites Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley. [On-line] (accessed on August 15, 2002). Levi Strauss & Company.

[On-line] (accessed on August 15, 2002). Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. MLA Blue Jean Baby - Smithsonian Libraries Unbound Smithsonian Libraries Unbound Blue Jean Baby « Previous Levi Strauss , originator of America’s best-known contribution to the fashion industry, was born on February 26 in 1829 in Bavaria, Germany. At the age of 18 he immigrated to New York City to join his brothers, who had already established a family owned and operated wholesale dry goods business known by the name “J. Strauss Brother & Co.” This was the era of the California Gold Rush, and Levi—a trained tailor—saw the potential to make his own fortune by producing tents and wagon covers for the hundreds of “49ers” heading West to seek their fortune. Unfortunately the demand for such items was limited, and Strauss was left searching for another way to make a name for himself in the new American frontier. In 1850 he headed west, to San Francisco, the heart and soul of the California mining scene, to establish a West Coast branch of the family dry goods business.

He opened the store in his own name, and tried a variety of locations near the waterfront, until 1866 when he settled at 14-16 Battery Street and formally named the store “ Levi Strauss & Co .” Strauss, who preferred to be called “Levi” by everyone including his employees, was becoming a well-known and active member of the San Francisco community. He was a supporter of Temple Emanu-El , the first synagogue in San Francisco, and numerous charities that provided care for orphans. He was thought of as an honest businessman and a good person, an image that he valued and hoped to perpetuate. In 1872 a Reno, Nevada tailor named Jacob Davis contacted Strauss regarding a type of men’s work pants he had been making for the miners, farmers and laborers that were his customers. Davis was a regular customer of Mr. Strauss, and had been purchasing bolts of heavy blue denim fabric—known as “jeans”—to make pants that could withstand the kind of abuse that came with manual labor.

Davis had developed a way to make the pants even stronger by placing metal rivets at the “points of strain” on the pants; the corners of the pockets and the base of the button fly. The pants were hugely popular with his customer base, and Davis was interested in patenting them, but knew that he needed a well-established businessman to help market and produce them successfully. Strauss was intrigued by the idea, and eager to be involved. So it was that on May 20, 1873 Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received United States patent # 139121 that called for the use of copper rivets to strengthen the pockets and fly of denim work pants. It was the birth of an American icon: the blue jean. What followed was, in a word, history. The American Industrial Revolution had brought about a dramatic increase in labor and manufacturing jobs. The need for durable and affordable work clothes grew with the work force, and Strauss and Davis saw their business flourish. While the company sold a variety of riveted denim products, the most popular item was the basic riveted denim “waist overall,” known as the “XX.” It wasn’t until 1890 that Levi Strauss & Co.

gave the pants a lot number, “501,” the name that is so famous today. Levi Strauss never married, and had no children, but hoping to keep the business in the family he encouraged his nephews to join him and they ultimately had the business incorporated in 1890. By then Levi Strauss was a widely diversified and successful businessman, and a very active philanthropist. He was a charter member and served as the treasurer of the San Francisco Board of Trade. He served as a director of the Nevada Bank; the Liverpool, London and Globe Insurance Company; and the San Francisco Gas and Electric Company. He was a major donor to the Pacific Hebrew Orphan Asylum and Home; the Eureka Benevolent Society; and the Hebrew Board of Relief. In 1897 he provided the funds for twenty-eight scholarships to the University of California, Berkeley. His reputation for being an honest businessman and a good person had never wavered, and he instilled those same values in his company. In 1991, nearly 90 years after his death, Levi Strauss & Co. became the first company to establish a “corporate code of responsible contracting,” known at the Terms of Engagement.

It clearly defined the work place standards required by both the Levi Strauss & Co. company, and by the companies that manufactured the products used by Levi Strauss & Co. They were the first company to establish standards to ban the use of sweatshops, and to this day remain vehemently opposed to such poor work place conditions. In a statement about the Terms of Engagement, Levi Strauss & Co. chairman Robert Haas —the great, great grandnephew of Levi Strauss—said of the business, “A company is also the values that shape its conduct in the marketplace.” This was a deeply held belief of Levi Strauss, and a testament of his character. Upon his death in 1902, Strauss was remembered by the San Francisco Board of Trade with a fitting statement: “ . . . the great causes of education and charity have likewise suffered a signal loss in the death of Mr. Strauss, whose splendid endowments . . .

will be an enduring testimonial of his worth as a liberal, public-minded citizen and whose numberless unostentatious acts of charity in which neither race nor creed were recognized, exemplified his broad and generous love for and sympathy with humanity.” —Carrie Carter Related titles from Libraries collections: 11 thoughts on “Blue Jean Baby” James

Question: May 20, 1873, saw a patent granted to Jacob Davis and what San Francisco business man for using copper rivets to strengthen the pockets of work pants?
Answer: Levi Strauss